Animals of the Far East. What animals live in the Far East? Poisonous plants of the Far East Which plants belong to the treasure of the Far East

World of plants- the greatest miracle of nature, the kingdom of beauty and our healing wealth. In the structure of the biosphere, the entire animal world can be considered as its consuming organs, and the plant world as energy-producing organs. Thus, the role of the plant world in human life is difficult to overestimate. In general, it is a powerful component of the physical and mental health of humans and animals. It is known that since ancient times, plants have been used as therapeutic and prophylactic agents. For thousands of years, plants have been selected for these purposes in each region, and therapeutic and preventive recipes have been created (India, Tibet, China, Mongolia).

Interest in medicinal plants and preparations made from them is determined by the entire way of life of mankind. The harmful effects of chemicals in the environment, synthetic drugs to which humans are not evolutionarily adapted, and chemical food additives lead to allergic diseases.

In connection with the above, the issues of searching for resources and isolating from them drugs that have tonic, adaptation, antioxidant and other types of actions are becoming very relevant at present. They are necessary for rehabilitation, prevention, protection from stress, for the correction of certain physiological functions in oncology, geriatrics, etc. As experimental studies have shown, many of the medicinal plants used in folk medicine for allergic conditions have pronounced antihistamine activity, for example Common lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea). Essential oils and terpene fractions wild rosemary (Ledum palustre) in acute inflammatory conditions, they prevent the development of vascular disorders and associated exudative phenomena.

In the process of evolution, plants changed and adapted to certain environmental conditions, climate, solar and cosmic influences. As a result, they accumulated environmental and biochemical information, including biologically active substances (BAS), necessary for their own life and, as it turned out, for humans and animals. Despite the recent active development of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, the creation of new highly effective drugs, medicinal herbs continue to occupy an important place in the arsenal of medicinal products. They are especially often used at home.

Richness and variety Far Eastern flora admired its researchers. The plant kingdom of the southern part of the Far East is especially impressive. Untouched by glaciations, it is a bizarre mixture of evolutionarily young and very ancient, relict plants that grew here millions of years ago, back in the Lower Cretaceous. The close proximity of northern and southern, taiga and steppe species is striking. The life forms of plants are also diverse, and trees are also found. shrubs, subshrubs, annual and perennial herbs; There are also woody vines that climb to a height of more than 20 meters.

A special place in the Far Eastern flora is occupied by plants with medicinal properties. Of the more than 2 thousand species growing in Primorye and Priamuye, more than half are medicinal. Among them there are both those that have received worldwide recognition and plants that were used only by the local population. Some species are common to those growing in the European part of Russia - these are celandine, wild rosemary, and calamus. Other plants - Keizke's lily of the valley, motherwort, Amur and Korean valerian are unique to our region, however, being closely related to European species, they have a similar chemical composition and use. We also have many plants that have no analogues in the vegetation of other regions of our country. These include the entire Araliaceae family, representatives of which are found only in the Far East, with the exception of ivy, which also grows in the western regions of the country. Finally, you can often find plants that are not indigenous to the vegetation of the south of the Far East; they appeared here solely thanks to man. This is the well-known oregano and sea buckthorn.

Currently, medicinal plants are widely used in medicine, veterinary medicine and the food industry as food additives. Preparations from plants are prescribed for the treatment of various diseases of the cardiovascular, digestive, bronchopulmonary systems and other diseases. They are also used for the prevention of digestive disorders, hypovitaminosis, metabolic disorders and in the complex treatment of various diseases.

A variety of food additives have appeared, which are various extracts of active substances or simply crushed plants.

The advantage of medicinal plants is their low toxicity and the possibility of long-term use without significant side effects. In case of functional disorders and mild forms of pathology, preference should be given to medicinal plants for maintenance therapy.

Medicinal plants- the oldest and never fully replenished treasury of medicines and technical raw materials. After all, pharmacists obtain about half of all medicines from plants. The aphorism of ancient healers remains unforgettable today: “The doctor has three tools - the word, the plant and the knife.”.

Here is a list of some medicinal plants of the Far East:

Ranunculaceae family - Ranunculaceae

Family Araceae - Araceae

Actinidia family - Actinidiaceae

Araliaceae family - Araliaceae

Heather family - Ericaceae

Family Saxifraga - Saxifragaceae

Barberry family - Berberidaceae

Family Rutaceae —Rutaceae

Lingonberry family - Vacciniaceae

Valerian family - Valerianaceae

Grape family - Vitaceae

Buckwheat family - Polygonaceae

Family Asteraceae - Compositae

Legume family - Leguminosae

Beech family - Fagaceae

Family Lamiaceae - Labiatae

Araliaceae family - Araliaceae

Vegetation of the Far East The territory of the Far East is subject to the general laws of latitudinal zonation, which manifests itself here in a very unique way. ^ The forest zone of the Far East can be divided into 4 subzones:

Northern coniferous forests of the Okhotsk type - Kamchatka and Khabarovsk Territory to Ayan - Daurian larch, stone birch, fragrant poplar, choicenia, and dwarf cedar.

Medium coniferous forests of the Okhotsk type - from Ayan to Amur - Daurian larch, stone birch, Ayan spruce, white fir.

Southern coniferous forests with the participation of deciduous trees - from Amguni to Sikhote-Alin, northern Sakhalin - Korean cedar, Scots pine, Far Eastern birch and aspen appear.

Mixed coniferous-deciduous forests - middle Amur, Ussuri, Sikhote-Alin, southern Sakhalin. The climate here is monsoon, with warm summers but rather harsh winters. The growing season (frost-free period) begins in April and lasts from 160 days (in the north of the zone) to 190 in the east; the sum of the effective temperature is 2300-2900 °C. Precipitation (up to 1170 mm per year) falls mainly in the summer in the form of heavy and prolonged rains, often causing floods on rivers. The monsoon climate, due to the proximity of the Pacific Ocean, in combination with fertile soils, contributed to the development of multi-tiered coniferous-deciduous forests with a wide variety of species of trees, shrubs, subshrubs and lianas (over 280 in total). There was no glacier here and relics of the Tertiary period were preserved (acute yew, microbiota, calopanax, Amur velvet, triacid vine, etc.), as well as suffragan species of European plants. The main coniferous forest-formers: Ayan and Siberian spruce, white and whole-leaved fir, Daurian larch, Korean cedar, Scots pine, dwarf cedar; Mongolian oak (on dwarf chars), Manchurian ash, Manchurian walnut, Amur velvet, Amur linden, small-leaved, Manchurian and greenbark maples, Korean and Maksimovich poplar, maakia, Maak bird cherry, ribbed birch, Daurian and Schmidt.

The species composition of undergrowth shrubs and forest edges is very rich in representatives of the genera hazel, euonymus, rhododendron, lespedeza, medicinal plant, etc. In this zone there are 22 species of vines (actinidia kolomikta and acute, Schisandra chinensis, Amur grape, etc.), which is significantly more than in any other region of Russia. ^ Steppe and forest-steppe vegetation The forest-steppe zone is represented by alternating forest and steppe plant formations. The soils are formed on loess and moraine deposits, mainly leached chernozems and slightly podzolized gray soils. In the Siberian forest-steppe the climate is sharply continental and dry (300 m of precipitation per year), in the European one it is milder (January temperatures -5 ° C) and humid (precipitation per year up to 550 mm). Accordingly, the species composition of forests differs: in the east there are small-leaved birch and aspen forests, as well as low-grade pine forests, in the west there are broad-leaved species - oak, linden, ash, maple, hornbeam, elm. The steppe zone in the northern and northwestern regions of the European part of the Russian Federation is dissected by deep ravines and river valleys; further to the east and south there is an almost flat plain. The soils are chernozem of varying thickness, chestnut to the south. The parent rocks are of loess origin, permeable loams in the west, dense loams in Western Siberia, as a result of which many lakes, both fresh and salt, were formed there. Woody vegetation is possible along the river valleys, for example, white and black poplars, white and brittle willow. On the slopes of river valleys, ravines, gullies, depressions, fairly extensive bush thickets no more than 1.5 m high (gorse, Russian broom, steppe cherry, sloe, spirea, steppe almond, caragana shrub, angustifolia, etc.) can form. The main obstacle to forest growth is the lack of moisture - both in the soil and in the air. Herbaceous vegetation is capable of an ephemeral annual cycle, i.e. During the spring and early summer periods of moisture, it has time to grow, bloom and bear fruit - due to the small biomass of an individual plant. ^ Desert and semi-desert vegetation of Central Asia The latitudinal zonation in the flat part is represented by dry steppe, semi-desert and desert. The mountains have a well-defined vertical zonation - forest-steppe, broad-leaved and coniferous forests, shrub thickets, alpine meadows. In the lower belt of mountains there are true pistachio, angustifolia oleaster, and Caspian willow. Above are plantings of walnut, apple, apricot, cherry plum, white mulberry, hawthorn, Semenov maple and birch trees. Then Tien Shan spruce, Siberian fir, birch and aspen appear. Above the cloud level there is a belt of juniper trees, consisting of junipers and eastern biota. The semi-desert zone is located south of the steppes and extends in the form of a narrow strip from Ergeni to the Zaisan Basin. It has a sharply continental climate, with hot, extremely dry summers and frosty, little snow (or no snow) winters. The soils are predominantly saline. The vegetation cover is not closed. The dominant species are xerophilous herbs and halophyte subshrubs (types of wormwood, astragalus, hyssop, caraway, and kochia). Thickets of ephedra, solyanka, juzgun, and tamarix are common. Ephemera play a significant role in vegetation cover. Trees (white, gray, black, trembling poplar, white and brittle willow, downy and silver birch) grow here only in floodplain forests along river valleys. Desert zones of temperate and subtropical zones. Deserts are located south of semi-deserts on the territory of neighboring states that were once part of the USSR, and occupy a vast territory from the Caspian Sea in the west to the border with China in the east, and in the south they are replaced by the Central Asian mountainous country. The terrain is flat, the soils are poor in humus and are characterized by salinity. . The climate is sharply continental, extremely dry, with little precipitation, mainly in winter. The air temperature in summer can rise to 50 °C, and on the surface of the sand - up to 70 °C; in winter in the north of the zone it can drop to 35 °C. ^ There are 5 types of vegetation in deserts. Ephemeral on gray soils. Typical for the southern regions. In early spring, numerous ephemerals develop, which die off by early summer, after which the desert appears completely devoid of vegetation. ^ Ephemeral wormwood on saline gray soils. In addition to ephemerals, thickets of semi-shrub sea wormwood are common here. Wormwood-hodgepodge on salt marshes. It is distinguished by the distribution of tree-like black saxaul, as well as shrubs - succulents and halophytes (solyanka, tamarisk saline). ^ Sandy. It is represented by thickets formed by white saxaul, sand acacia, and various types of juzgun. Tugai, confined to the most moist soils of the banks and river valleys. In places flooded with water, thick thickets of reeds are common. In less frequently flooded areas, there is quite rich woody vegetation - tugai forests and shrub thickets. Various types of poplar grow here (gray and multi-leaved turangi, white and black poplar), willow, tamarix, honeysuckle, as well as chingil and oleaster. In general, the dendroflora of the deserts of the states bordering Russia is distinguished by a very high species diversity. Woody and semi-woody plants (over 250 species) are found here, among which shrubs and subshrubs clearly dominate. The entire territory of deserts adjacent to our country is divided into 2 subzones: temperate deserts and subtropical deserts, located south of 40° N. w. The boundary between these zones runs approximately along the zero isotherm of January: in the temperate desert the average air temperature of the coldest month is negative, in the subtropical desert it is positive. In the current century, the vegetation cover of the subtropical desert zone has undergone changes due to the intensive development of agriculture on irrigated lands. The thermal conditions of this warmest natural zone (the sum of the average daily air temperature above 10 °C exceeds 5000 °C) are such that they allow the most heat-loving varieties of fine-fiber cotton, rice, and many valuable fruit trees (grapes, peach, apricot, pomegranate) to be grown on irrigated lands , figs, almonds, quinces, etc.).

Ticket 28

Winter hardiness, frost resistance, cold resistance of plants

Cold resistance plants, the ability of plants to tolerate low positive temperatures (from 1 to 10 ° C) for a long time. Chromium should be distinguished from frost resistance (see Frost resistance) of plants, which is usually understood as the resistance of plants to the action of negative temperatures. Chromium is characteristic of temperate plants. Tropical and non-wintering subtropical plants at temperatures slightly above 0 ° C are damaged and gradually die, sometimes even after cooling for only a few min(see Heat-loving plants). Cold-resistant varieties include, for example, barley, oats, vetch, and flax. The degree of chromium varies among different plants. The degree of chromium in different organs of the same plant also varies; for example, in corn and buckwheat, the stem has the least chemia, while in peanuts it is in the roots. Damage to plant leaves is accompanied by a loss of turgor and a change in color due to the destruction of chlorophyll. However, these external signs of damage do not appear immediately. “Invisible” changes occur much earlier, becoming apparent only after the cooled plants are moved to favorable temperature conditions: healthy-looking plants begin to die after some time. The main reason for the death of heat-loving plants from low positive temperatures is probably a metabolic disorder: decay processes begin to prevail over synthesis processes, toxic compounds may accumulate, and the structure of the protoplasm is disrupted. Apparently, different “heat lovers” die from various, not yet fully understood reasons. The health of plants is determined by their ability to maintain the normal structure of protoplasm and accordingly rearrange their metabolism during the period of cooling and subsequent increase in temperature.

To a large extent, the health of plants depends on external conditions, by changing which it is possible to increase the resistance of plants to cooling. For example, the application of potassium fertilizers and growing plants at low temperatures, high air humidity, and good lighting contribute to an increase in pH. The most promising has proven to be hardening of plants through short-term exposure to such an extremely low temperature that does not yet cause damage. In this case, it is advisable to use measures to combat pathogenic soil microflora, which at low temperatures affects the roots of heat-loving plants. However, cold hardening of vegetable seedlings, although it increases the temperature, slows down the subsequent growth of the plants, so it is more advisable to harden the germinating seeds. The temperature is selected according to the plant’s degree of heat (ranging from 0 to -5 ° C) and is applied for short periods of time (12 h), so as not to damage the germinating seeds. For the rest of the day, the seeds are placed in favorable conditions (at 15-20 °C). This change of cold and heat is carried out over the course of a month or a little longer. This method makes it possible to promote tomatoes, watermelons, melons and other heat-loving crops to the north. Pre-sowing treatment of seeds with solutions of certain salts is also used. Increasing the crop quality is also achieved through grafting, using which it is possible to obtain harvests of watermelons and melons in the Kirov and Moscow regions. Plants in the seedling phase are grafted onto a pumpkin, from which, in addition to the root system, some of the leaves are left. Breeding more cold-resistant varieties is promising; Seeds that have begun to germinate are hardened by cold. This technique is carried out over a number of generations. This is how, for example, new, more cold-resistant varieties of tomatoes were developed. Instead of cold seed treatment, winter sowing of seeds in the ground (for example, tomatoes, buckwheat) is also practiced, carried out over a number of generations.

Winter hardiness plants ability to tolerate unfavorable winter conditions without damage. During severe frosts, as a result of the formation of ice in cells or intercellular spaces, plants may freeze out. The ice crust that appears on crops during thaws impairs the aeration of cells and weakens the frost resistance of plants. Winter crops that have been under deep snow for a long time at a temperature of about 0 ° C suffer from depletion and damage by mold fungi (see Damping off of plants). Due to the formation of an ice layer in the soil, which breaks the roots, bulging of plants occurs. The simultaneous effect of many of these unfavorable factors is often observed.

Z. r., and in particular their frost resistance, develop by the beginning of winter during the process of hardening of plants (See Hardening of plants). Plants can tolerate frosts: winter rye up to -30°C, winter wheat up to -25°C, apple tree up to -40°C. The resistance of plants to damping off is ensured by: the accumulation in them by the beginning of winter of a large amount of sugars and other reserve substances; economical consumption by plants (at a temperature of about 0°C) of reserve substances for respiration and growth; protection of plants from fungal diseases. The resistance of plants to bulging is determined by the power and extensibility of the roots. Protrusion is observed more often on dense, humus and wet soils when they freeze and thaw again, so it is very important to choose the right site for sowing. Autumn stagnation of water in the fields (plant soaking) is also dangerous; it worsens the hardening of plants and they are more easily damaged by frost. Stagnation of water in spring is even more destructive; plants weakened and damaged in winter die off due to lack of aeration, so it is necessary to improve the physical properties of the topsoil.

To increase the winter hardiness of fruit trees, agrotechnical methods of accumulating and conserving moisture in the soil, watering, etc. should be used. It also decreases under the influence of summer droughts: due to lack of water, trees do not have time to complete the development cycle and go into a dormant state, so windbreaks play an important role. In fruit trees, winter hardiness often decreases in fruitful years, because plants do not have time to prepare for winter. Therefore, it is necessary to select varieties with uniform yields over the years. To ensure Z. r. Control of pests and plant diseases is also required. Of great importance is the correct zoning of existing varieties and the breeding of new, winter-hardy varieties. The most winter-hardy varieties of winter rye and wheat, alfalfa, clover, and apple trees are available in the USSR; the most winter-hardy varieties of winter rye in Siberia and the South-East. country, winter wheat - in the eastern regions. See also Wintering plants.

Frost resistance plants, the ability of plants to survive during periods of short frosts or prolonged frosts. One of the types of winter hardiness of plants (See Winter hardiness of plants). In wintering plants, M. develops every year as a result of long and complex preparation for winter (see. Hardening of plants). During the warm period of the year, when plants grow, their M. is insignificant; during winter frosts, it is maximum. During thaws, M. drops sharply, and then, if the frost intensifies slowly, it rises again. Sharp temperature fluctuations are dangerous because the plants do not have time to undergo re-hardening. M. is due to the fact that physicochemical processes occur in cells, firstly, making it difficult to freeze intracellular water, and secondly, increasing the resistance of cells to dehydration of protoplasts and to mechanical deformation by extracellular ice. These cell properties develop during the process of plant hardening at low temperatures in several stages, starting with a dormant period. If at any stage the necessary processes do not take place in plant cells, then the plants will not be frost-resistant enough and may die.

M. is determined primarily by inheritance. features. Some plant species die in mild frosts (for example, lemon trees die at temperatures from - 5 to - 12 °C), others are able to survive in the harshest winters (for example, some apple trees can withstand frosts down to - 40 °C); larch, birch and other trees in Eastern Siberia can survive at -70 °C. Even different varieties of the same plant species have different varieties of plants: for example, some varieties of winter wheat die at temperatures below -15 °C, others only at -23 °C. Therefore, one of the most effective methods for increasing moisture is the breeding of frost-resistant varieties and their correct zoning. M. is also influenced by soil and climatic conditions and agrotechnical practices that provide plants with optimal conditions for nutrition, water supply, and aeration. Cultivated plants under natural conditions (in a field or garden) usually do not reach maximum M, since the conditions for preparing for winter are often unfavorable. Winter wheat, for example, freezes at temperatures below - 15 ° C at the depth of the tillering node; after hardening in laboratory conditions, it can withstand frosts down to - 30 ° C. After laboratory hardening of one-year-old seedlings, apricot is only slightly damaged at a temperature of -60 °C, and an apple tree of the Antonovka variety is still able to bloom after such a frost. Blackcurrant cuttings after laboratory hardening can take root and develop even after exposure to ultra-low temperatures (- 253 ° C). The assessment of plant M. is carried out using a field method (based on the number of overwintered plants per unit area) and a laboratory method, which makes it possible to determine in refrigeration units at what temperature plants begin to freeze out and to monitor M. over a long period of time.

Ecological and geographical groups of plants according to their frost resistance

Based on their ability to withstand low temperatures, tree species are divided into five groups:

1. Very frost-resistant (up to -35…-50°)

Trees: downy birch, common and Siberian spruce, Daurian and Siberian larches, Siberian cedar, aspen, balsam poplar, common juniper;

Shrubs: scarlet hawthorn, red elderberry, Siberian dogwood, yellow acacia, dwarf cedar, silver oleaster, mountain pine.

2. Frost-resistant (up to -25…-35°)

Trees: Canadian and Engelmann spruce, prickly and Tien Shan, white willow, elm (elm), English oak, Norway maples, small-leaved linden, metasequoia, Manchurian and gray nuts, common rowan, Weymouth pine, common bird cherry, common ash;

Shrubs: common hawthorn, Tatarian honeysuckle, serviceberry, common viburnum, wrinkled rose, common lilac, western and eastern thuja.

3. Moderately frost-resistant (up to -15…-25°C)

Trees: white acacia or black locust, honey locust, beech, hornbeam, yew leaf, magnificent catalpa, horse chestnut, field maple, silver, large-leaved and Crimean linden, Japanese sophora, yew berry, cedar (in short cold weather), Arizona cypress, pistachio, white and black mulberry, maple-leaved sycamore, gingko, pomegranate, rosemary;

Shrubs: boxwood, cherry laurel, common privet, Japanese quince, deutzia, viburnum, angustifolia, golden mackerel, spirea, mock orange or jasmine, rose hips.

4. Non-frost-resistant (up to -10…-15°С)

Trees: Babylonian willow, common cypress, cedar (in prolonged cold weather), paulownia, eucalyptus, maritime and Himalayan pines, Italian or pine, evergreen sequoia, plane tree or eastern plane tree;

Shrubs: large-leaved hydrangea, wisteria, sweet olive, yucca.

5. The least winter-hardy (not lower than -10°C) subtropical tree species are palms, evergreen deciduous trees and some conifers.

The nature of the south of the Far East is rich and unique. The Amur basin is huge, carrying its waters to the Pacific Ocean.

The northern border of this zone runs at 50° N. w. and is separated by the Stanovoy Range from Siberia. This is mainly a mountainous country, occupied by the spurs of the Sikhote-Alin ridges. The mountains here are low and do not have clearly defined zoning. The upper belt of mountains is characterized by open forests with thickets of cedar and mountain tundra, on the chars of which patches of snow are visible.

In the north of the Amur region, larch taiga predominates, and in the Khabarovsk Territory, mountain dark coniferous forests of spruce and fir alternate with taiga. To the south of the Amur (in Primorye) mixed cedar-broad-leaved forests predominate, which include: Korean cedar, Mongolian oak, Manchurian walnut, Amur velvet and a number of other species. Huge trees are entwined with vines and wild Amur grapes. The relict nature of this vegetation is due to the mild monsoon climate of Primorye.

The plains occupy a limited area and are adjacent to the valleys of large rivers. Areas of forest-steppe and meadow landscape are most developed in the Amur region and in the Khanka lowland. Currently, these steppe and forest-steppe areas are mainly occupied by agricultural land.

The main fauna of the south of the Far East is represented by Amur species of South Asian origin. The broad-leaved forests of the Far East are distinguished by their antiquity. The main core of the local fauna has been preserved here since the beginning of the Tertiary period. This faunal complex is characteristic of Primorye and only partially penetrates into the zones adjacent to the Amur Region and Khabarovsk Territory. This boundary almost coincides with 50° N. w. and is called the “Arsenyev line”. The fauna north of this border belongs to the widespread fauna of taiga Siberia, some species of which penetrate far to the south.

When zoogeographically zoning the south of the Far East, three regions are distinguished:

1. The Middle Amur region (lower reaches of the Zeya and Bureya rivers) covers a vast area with the cities of Blagoveshchensk, Khabarovsk and Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Characteristic of this area is the mixture of northern Siberian and southern Manchurian species of fauna. The last two groups have found the limits of their distribution here and give a unique character to the named zone. The Mongolian-Daurian steppe fauna is represented here only by individual species.

2. The basin of the Ussuri proper with its tributaries, the Middle Sikhote-Alin, as well as the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan from Terney Bay to the Samarga River. In this zone, the Amur fauna predominates, there is a mixture of its various species, and its more southern forms no longer penetrate here.

3. Southern Primorye covers the sea coast from Vladivostok to Terney Bay, the sources of the Ussuri River and the lake basin. Hanka. This region is characterized by fauna species that are found only within this border zone (sika deer, goral, leopard, mogera, zokor and several others).

Thus, the fauna of the south of the Far East is of a mixed nature, heterogeneous in different parts of the region.

In the north, Siberian species predominate - reindeer, wolverine, sable, mountain hare, in the south (Primorye) - the above-mentioned species of the Amur (Manchurian) fauna.

The zoogeographical zoning and origin of fauna was influenced by the Ice Age. Its impact on the native fauna of the Far East was relatively small. However, under its influence, the pre-existing ancient homogeneous fauna was largely restructured by changing forms, retreating to the south, forming zonal belts and partially introducing new alien elements. The antiquity and abundance of relict forms did not exclude the penetration of Siberian (taiga) and partly Mongolian (steppe) elements into this area at certain stages of its development. The local fauna was pushed back to the Amur region and Primorye.

In the modern period, anthropogenic factors strongly influence the fauna - human economic activity, agriculture, forestry and hunting. The construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline has a particularly great impact. In this regard, the problem of protection and rational use of the fauna of the Far East has become even more important.

The fauna of the Far Eastern region has a rich and diverse species composition. It is very complex in origin. Along with the usual widespread species of the fauna of Siberia, the main and most pronounced core belongs to the Amur group of rare forms of southern origin. The latter are of particular scientific interest; they are characterized by a limited range and the smallest numbers.

Analysis of the theriofauna of the Amur-Ussuri region allows us to identify several complexes in its composition. Endemic species of Primorye and adjacent regions of the Amur region include a number of species common in the south-eastern part of Asia. This group includes: Far Eastern sika deer, Amur goral, Amur tiger, eastern leopard, black bear, Amur forest cat, raccoon dog, marten, Manchurian hare, rat-like hamster, Ussuri tubenoses, Moguera mole, giant shrew and a number of others species.

Widespread species of the northern fauna of the Polearctic in the south of the Far East are represented by special subspecies - geographical races (elk, wapiti, roe deer, musk deer, wild boar, brown bear, sable, weasel, squirrel, flying squirrel, chipmunk, ground squirrel, a number of mouse-like rodents, bats and insectivores ). Currently, new species of animals have been acclimatized in the Far East - American mink, raccoon, European and Canadian beavers, brown hare, and muskrat.

In this regard, the fauna of the south of the Far East has a very complex and at the same time unique character. Next, we will talk about the main types of fauna, indicating their places of distribution and habitat.

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Ermolina Ekaterina

Abstract on the world around us

"Rare animals of the Russian Far East"

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Municipal educational institution

Secondary school No. 12

ABSTRACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT

"RARE ANIMALS OF THE FAR EAST OF RUSSIA"

Performed:

Ermolina E.

Supervisor:

Voitovich I.V.

Khabarovsk, 2011

	Relevance of the topic
	Introduction
Chapter I	The unique nature of the Russian Far East
§ 1.	Geographical location and climatic conditions of the Russian Far East
§ 2.	Flora and fauna of the Russian Far East
Chapter II	Fauna of the Russian Far East
§ 1.	Diversity of fauna in the Russian Far East
§ 2.	The importance of animals for our planet
§ 3.	Causes of extinction (extinction) of animals
Chapter III	Representatives of the rarest species of fauna of the Russian Far East
§ 1.	Far Eastern leopard
§ 2.	Amur tiger
§ 3.	The Far Eastern white stork is the winged symbol of the Amur River
	Conclusion
	Bibliography
	Applications
Appendix No. 1	Population dynamics of the Far Eastern leopard in 1998-2010
Appendix No. 2	Dynamics of the Amur tiger population in the Russian Far East in 2001-2010.

Relevance of the topic:

The relevance (importance, significance) of this topic lies in the fact that we know very little about the world around us, and we know practically nothing about rare wild animals! As a result of human activity, the number of already rare wild animals is steadily declining and, if special and urgent measures are not taken to protect them, they may completely disappear from the face of the Earth, just as Steller’s cow (a large marine mammal), which lived only in one place - on the Commander Islands and by the end of the 18th century it was completely exterminated by man, and whose skeleton can only be seen here - in the Khabarovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore. N.I. Grodekov and at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris.

Goal: To study representatives of rare animals of the Russian Far East and establish the reasons for their disappearance.

Tasks:

1. Conduct theoretical research on this topic.
2. Establish the relationship between the diversity of the animal world and living conditions.
3. Identify the reasons for the disappearance of animals in the Russian Far East.

Object area: Biology. Fauna of the Russian Far East.

Object of study: Disappearance of wild animals of the Far East, causes.

Subject of research: Rare animals of the Russian Far East.

Introduction: At first glance, modern man, especially a city dweller, depends little on nature. It is surrounded by good quality heated houses, plants and factories; transport moves on asphalt pavements; rivers are encased in granite; little greenery. Even in rural areas, plowed fields approach housing, and the forest sometimes turns blue only on the horizon... There are over one and a half million species of animals on Earth. Large and small, from those visible only through a microscope to giants weighing several tons, they inhabit forests, steppes and deserts, thick soils, seas and oceans, found high in the mountains, in lightless caves and in polar ice.

Man has long used animals and plants. Ancient people lived by fishing and hunting, collecting berries, mushrooms, various fruits, and roots. Plants and animals provided man with clothing and material for housing. Later, domesticated animals became man's faithful helpers. And now living nature is of great importance to humans, although we do not always realize it.

However, over time, the nature around us becomes poorer. On the mountain slopes, where thick forests once grew, only bare rocks remain in places. Some species of animals and plants have completely disappeared due to human fault and can no longer be restored. But animals suffer not only from unreasonable extermination. Human economic activity is increasingly changing the natural conditions familiar to certain animals, sometimes causing them irreparable harm. The shallowing of rivers and their pollution with industrial wastewater kills fish; Following deforestation, naturally, their four-legged and feathered inhabitants disappear, etc. For a long time, people did not pay attention to the impoverishment of living nature. It was thought that the forests would last forever and the fish in the rivers would never run out. But now the picture has changed dramatically: many areas have become treeless, many animals have been exterminated. It became clear that nature cannot be thoughtlessly destroyed; it requires attention, care and protection.

CHAPTER I. THE UNIQUENESS OF NATURE OF THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST

§ 1. Geographical location and climatic conditions of the Russian Far East

The territory of the Russian Far East makes up about 1/6 of the country's area. It includes the Magadan, Kamchatka, Sakhalin and Amur regions, as well as the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories. Arctic deserts, tundra, forest-tundra, taiga, mixed and broad-leaved forests, areas of forest-steppe - this is a list of natural zones in which animals live. Numerous mountain systems, as well as the seas of the Arctic and Pacific oceans, create unique natural conditions for their existence.

The Russian Far East is located on the border of the largest continent on Earth - Eurasia - and the greatest of the oceans - the Pacific. Therefore, a characteristic feature of its climate is the seasonal change in air flows from the continent and from the ocean, due to their uneven heating and cooling.

Seasonal changes in continental and marine influences are especially pronounced in the southern part of the Russian Far East. At the same time, in winter the prevailing winds are directed from land to the ocean, and in summer - from the ocean to land.

As a result of seasonal movements of air masses, winter in the Russian Far East is dry and cold, and summer is warm and humid.

The climate of the Russian Far East is also distinguished by extremely sharp average annual fluctuations in ambient temperatures, which increase in summer and decrease in winter.

All this led to a wide variety of vertebrate fauna.

§ 2. Flora and fauna of the Russian Far East

The flora and fauna of the Russian Far East, its flora and fauna, are also quite diverse. And the reason for this is the Pacific monsoons, which bring with them heat and a lot of precipitation in the summer, which sometimes fall on all living and nonliving things with violent typhoons. It is this weather that creates favorable conditions for the penetration of heat-loving plants and animals, whose closest relatives live in the tropics of Southeast Asia, into the Far East, which is the outskirts of the continent. Representatives of northern and southern flora and fauna converge here and live side by side. It is the mixture of northern (cold-loving) and southern (heat-loving) species of plants and animals, as well as the presence of a significant number of species that are not found anywhere else in Russia, or even in the world, that is a characteristic feature of the nature of the Russian Far East. This is due, among other things, to the fact that during the Ice Age the territories of the south of the Russian Far East were not covered with ice and therefore pre-glacial species of animals and plants that became extinct in other places were preserved here.

The combination of flora and fauna species of the Russian Far East forms a unique natural complex of world significance.

At the same time, many of the unique species of wild animals of the Russian Far East, for various reasons, the main one of which is human activity, are among the rare and endangered species that require special protection.

CHAPTER II. WILDLIFE OF THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST

§ 1. Diversity of fauna in the Russian Far East

The fauna of the Far East is one of the most diverse in the Russian Federation. In general, the total number of rare vertebrate and invertebrate animals in need of protection in the Far East is 283 species, of which 102 species are endemic.

In the snow you can see tracks of a tiger and a sable nearby. In the immediate vicinity of a pile of snow that has not yet melted, a subtropical mandarin duck is splashing in a small lake, and nearby there is a forest of coniferous and deciduous trees entwined with rope-like vines. Ussuri pheasants hide in the coastal thickets, and taiga snowshoe hares hide nearby. There are many such examples, and they all testify to the same thing: the combination of heterogeneous elements of northern and southern nature inherent in the Far East.

The most famous rare and protected species are the Amur tiger, the Far Eastern leopard, the sea otter (sea otter), the indigenous population of sika deer, the Amur goral, the white stork, the Siberian white crane, the crested eagle, the paradise flycatcher, the mandarin duck, the Far Eastern tortoise (Trionix) and others.

§ 2. The importance of animals for our planet

The basis of life on Earth is green plants, in whose tissues, when absorbing the energy of sunlight, various organic substances are formed from carbon dioxide, water and mineral salts. However, animals are not a minor component of nature, only consuming substances created by plants. Animals participate in the great cycle of substances in nature, without which not a single organism can exist, and life on Earth cannot continue.

Any natural complex of organisms on the surface of our planet includes three mandatory components: green plants that create organic substances from inorganic ones (scientifically - producers) ; animals that mostly feed on plants and process their tissues, dispersing organic matter over the surface of the soil or in its thickness(consumers) , and bacteria and fungi that convert organic substances, including those scattered by animals, again into mineral salts and gases(decomposers) . The latter can again be used by the leaves and roots of plants. This is how the cycle of substances and energy with the participation of organisms is established in nature.

§ 3. Reasons for the disappearance (extinction) of animals.

The main and only reason for the disappearance of wild animals is human activity.

Practical interest in the extraction and use of Far Eastern fauna has existed for hundreds of years. But the effects on nature have never been as destructive as they are now. The intensification of fisheries, which do not recognize any restrictions, and are often illegal, now brings not only individual species, but also some biocenoses to the brink of complete physical destruction.

Among other things, the reasons for the interest in animal representatives of the Far Eastern nature lie in the traditions of oriental medicine, the culinary characteristics of the countries of East and Southeast Asia, mythology and superstitions that have outgrown national borders and have become one of the global factors in the commercial demand for exotic medicines, food, amulets only in the countries of the Pacific region, but also in many others.

It is not possible to influence these reasons in order to reduce demand; on the contrary, with the help of advertising of medicines, esoteric teachings and the actual expansion of the national cuisine of East Asian countries to Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia in the coming years, without a doubt, the trend will continue and even intensify. In addition, in the adjacent territories of China and Korea (which provided some of these raw materials several decades ago), similar types of biodiversity, mainly associated with the Manchurian fauna, have been almost completely exterminated, and with regard to poaching, the laws of these countries are characterized by increased rigidity and uncompromisingness.

CHAPTER III. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE RAREST SPECIES OF FAUNA OF THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST

§ 1. FAR EASTERN LEOPARD

Far Eastern leopard- the northernmost subspecies of leopard. It is distinguished by thick, long fur, especially noticeable in its winter plumage, and is one of the most beautiful and rarest large cats in the world. The Far Eastern leopard is listed in the Red Book of Russia, the International Red Book, and the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The body length of the Far Eastern leopard is 107-136 cm. And the length of its tail is 82 - 90 cm. It turns out that the tail of the Far Eastern leopard is almost as long as its body!

tones of color.

The Far Eastern leopard has blue eyes!

The Far Eastern leopard always hunts alone in the evening and during the first half of the night. And only the female leopard hunts with her older kittens; she teaches her kittens to hunt. The Far Eastern leopard eats deer and roe deer,badgers , raccoons , hares, pheasants , hazel grouse .

A female Far Eastern leopard usually gives birth to 1-3 cubs. They are born blind, with spotted coloring. Their lair is caves, crevices, holes under upturned tree roots in a remote, secluded place. On the 12-15th day, kittens begin to crawl, and by two months they begin to leave the den.

Currently, the Far Eastern leopard is on the verge of complete destruction. According to the Far Eastern branch of WWF (World Wildlife Fund) Russia, by the end of 2010, about 34 Far Eastern leopards remained in the wild (see Appendix No. 1). And man is to blame for this: he cuts down forests, pollutes the air and water, and poaches leopards.

§ 2. AMUR TIGER

The largest cat on the planet, the Amur tiger, lives in the Russian Far East.

Despite his size, enormous physical strength, absence of enemies, and ability to starve for a long time, the owner of the Ussuri taiga is easily vulnerable. The striped proud predator, a symbol of the wealth and beauty of Far Eastern nature, is also on the verge of extinction.

According to research by the Far Eastern Branch of WWF Russia, today only 450 Amur tigers live in the Russian Far East (see Appendix No. 2).

Preserving the tiger is the key to preserving the Far Eastern nature.

The Amur tiger is depicted oncoat of arms of the Khabarovsk Territory :

The Amur tiger distinguishes colors. At night he sees five times better than a human. The body length of male Amur tigers to the tip of the tail reaches 2.7-3.8 m, females are smaller. Tail length up to 100 cm. Height at withers up to 105-110 cm, weight 160-270 kg. The record weight of a tiger is 384 kg. The tiger is an easily vulnerable animal, despite its large size and enormous physical strength. He can run in the snow at speeds of up to 50 km/h.

The Amur tiger hunts at night. The Amur tiger marks its territory by scratching its claws on tree trunks.

Tigers greet each other with special snorting sounds produced by vigorously exhaling air through the nose and mouth. Signs of friendliness also include touching heads, muzzles, and even rubbing sides.

Despite its enormous strength and developed senses, the tiger has to devote a lot of time to hunting, since only one out of 10 attempts is successful. The tiger crawls towards its prey, moving in a special way: arching its back and resting its hind paws on the ground.

The tiger eats while lying down, holding its prey with its paws. Like any cat, the Amur tiger can eat fish, frogs, birds and mice. A tiger needs to eat 9-10 kg of meat per day.

§ 3. FAR EASTERN WHITE STORK -winged symbol of Cupid

The bulk of the population - about four hundred pairs - inhabits the wetlands of the Amur valley, the Tunguska and Ussuri rivers.

Outside of Russia, our stork nests only in northeastern China.

It flies off early for the winter, gradually gathering in flocks. Far Eastern whites overwinter onplains of the Chinese Yangtze River, preferring wet places - shallow ponds and rice fields.

The Far Eastern white stork is similar to a simple white stork in plumage color, but our stork is slightly larger, has a more powerful black beak, and its legs are brighter red. Around the eyes of the Far Eastern white stork there is an unfeathered area of ​​red skin. The chicks of the Far Eastern white stork are white with a reddish-orange beak, while the chicks of the common white stork have a black beak.

The Far Eastern white stork feeds on small fish and frogs. Tries to avoid human settlements and nests in remote, inaccessible places. It nests high in trees near bodies of water - lakes, rivers and swamps. It also uses other high-rise structures, such as power lines, to build nests. The nest is made of branches about two meters in diameter, with a height of 3.4 to 14 m. The Far Eastern white stork uses the same nest for several years in a row. Lays eggs at the end of April; depending on conditions, the clutch contains from 3 to 4 eggs. After a month, the chicks hatch, like other storks, helpless. Their parents feed them by regurgitating food into their beaks, and they also give them water.

CONCLUSION.

The disappearance of rare species of wild animals is an irreparable loss both for the planet Earth and for all humanity, since all existing species of animals and plants are interconnected and the disappearance of any of them can lead to unpredictable environmental consequences, therefore Russia, as a country, bears responsibility before the entire world community for the conservation of such species of wild animals as, for example, the Ussuri tiger and the Amur leopard. Rare and endangered species of wild animals are listed in the Red Book. Each page of this unusual Book is an alarm signal. Species included in it need special attention, special protection, and special study. After all, in order to protect animals you need to know more about them!

And we, as citizens of Russia, must make every effort to ensure that not a single species of animal disappears from the face of planet Earth.

Bibliography:

1. Aramilev V.V., Fomenko P.V. Distribution and abundance of the Far Eastern leopard in the southwest of Primorsky Krai // Conservation and rational use of animal and plant resources. Irkustk: IGSHA, 2000.
2. Newspaper "Panda". A publication for WWF Russia supporters. Vladivostok: Call of the taiga. Issue No. 1 (September, 2002).
3. Newspaper "Panda". A publication for WWF Russia supporters. Vladivostok: Call of the taiga. Issue No. 2 (June, 2003).
4. Newspaper "Panda". A publication for WWF Russia supporters. Vladivostok: Call of the taiga. Issue No. 1 (June, 2005).
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6. Far Eastern leopard: life on the edge. WWF Russia (Text author: Ph.D. M. Kretschmar) – Vladivostok, 2005. 44 p.
7. Red Book of the Russian Federation. - Moscow: AST, Astrel, 2001
8. Red Book of the Khabarovsk Territory: Rare and endangered species of plants and animals: official publication/Ministry of Natural Resources of the Khabarovsk Territory, Institute of Water and Environmental Problems, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.-Khabarovsk: Publishing House “Priamurskie Vedomosti”, 2008. – 632 pp.: ill.
9. Pikunov D.G., Seredkin I.V., Aramilev V.V., Nikolaev I.G., Murzin A.A. Large predators and ungulates of the south-west of Primorsky Krai. Vladivostok: Dalnauka, 2009. 96 p.
10. About a tiger and cubs. Collection of teaching materials for working with children. Vladivostok: WWF - Russia, 2008. - 144 p., ill.
11. Protect each of the remaining ones: Land of the Leopard. Vladivostok: Dalnauka, 2007. 20 p.

Applications

Appendix No. 1

Appendix No. 2

VEGETATION AND WOODY PLANTS OF THE FAR EAST

The Far East in the Soviet Union occupies a vast territory in the far east of Asia. It has a significant extent in the latitudinal direction - from 42 to 70° N. w. It includes two large peninsulas - Kamchatka and Chukotka, Sakhalin Island and the Kuril Islands.

The border between the Far East and Eastern Siberia runs along mountain ranges running from Transbaikalia to the Arctic Ocean (Yablonovy, Stanovoy, Dzhugdzhur, Kolyma, Anadyr). It is a predominantly mountainous country. In addition to the mentioned mountains, this includes: the Bureinsky Mountains, Sikhote-Alin, Kamchatka and Sakhalin (also mountainous countries).

Large rivers such as the Amur with its tributaries Zeya, Bureya and Ussuri flow through the territory of the Far East; in the north - the Anadyr and many small rivers.

The climate of this country is significantly influenced from the east by the Pacific Ocean, and from the west by the Asian continent. In the presence of mountainous terrain and a significant extent in the latitudinal direction, a unique cold and temperate coastal climate is formed: in winter there are dry, cold north-western winds, in summer there are humid south-eastern winds, also cool. Winter can be cold, clear, and in some places with little snow; spring is long and dry; summer is rainy, especially in the second half, in the southern part it is hot; autumn is dry and clear. The amount of annual precipitation in the southern part ranges from 600 to 800 mm, in the northern part - from 200 to 300 mm. The southernmost part of the Far Eastern Territory is located at the latitude of Sukhumi, and in summer there is enough moisture and heat, but the climate is not subtropical, but moderately warm.

The soil cover in the northern part is formed on permafrost and consists of thin tundra soils, which to the south are replaced by peaty and slightly podzolized loams on stony rocks, and on steep slopes they turn into stony char. In the southern part, the soils are podzolic and podzolic-gley, sod-podzolic, brown, forest and peat-gley.

In the Far East, only three natural zones are distinguished: tundra, forest-tundra and forest. In the forest zone there are several types of vegetation: forest, char vegetation (mosses, lichens, solitary shrubs, thickets of dwarf cedar), shrub thickets, sphagnomoss bogs with larch and meadows.

The forest zone can be divided into four subzones:

1. Northern subzone - from the northern tip of Kamchatka to Ayan. Daurian larch, stone birch, dark-leaved poplar, choicenia, and dwarf cedar take part in the formation of forests.

2. The middle subzone of coniferous forests of the Okhotsk type - from Ayan to Amur. The forests consist of Dahurian larch, Ayan spruce, whitebark fir, and stone birch.

3. Southern subzone of coniferous forests with the participation of deciduous trees - from Amgun to northern Sikhote-Alin, lower reaches of the Amur, Northern Sakhalin; The forests are formed by the same coniferous trees and, in addition, Korean cedar and Scots pine, and from deciduous trees - Far Eastern birch, aspen and some broad-leaved fourth subzones.

4. The subzone of mixed coniferous-deciduous forests - Middle Amur, Ussuri, Sikhote-Alin, Southern Sakhalin is characterized by a wide variety of woody plant species.

This part of the Far East was not covered by a glacier and plant species of the Tertiary period were preserved here, as well as species of woody plants that replaced the forest species of Western Europe. Of the coniferous species, the most common are: Ayan and Siberian spruce, white and whole-leaved fir, Korean cedar, Scots pine, Dahurian larch, and dwarf cedar on the chars; from deciduous trees - Mongolian oak, Manchurian ash, Manchurian walnut, Amur velvet, Amur linden, native and variegated elms, small-leaved, Manchurian and greenbark maples, aspen, Korean and Maksimovich poplar, Far Eastern bird cherry, maakia, dimorphant, ribbed, Dahurian and Schmidt birch .

In the undergrowth, on the edges and in bushes there are representatives of all genera of shrubs growing in Europe, in addition, endemic species of the Araliaceae family: Eleutherococcus, Manchurian Aralia, medicinal plant.

The forests of this subzone are characterized by large vines: Amur grape, three types of actinidia, and Chinese magnolia vine.

Spruce ayanskaya- Picea jezoensis. Tree up to 40m high. European and Siberian hotels are distinguished by pine needles and cones. The needles are flat, the stomata are located only on one morphologically upper side, this side of the needles is whitish-silver, matte, the other is bright green, shiny. On the main shoot, the needles are whitish above and green below; on all lateral flat shoots, due to the rotation of the needles by 180°, the upper side of the needles and the entire branch is bright green; and the lower one is silvery-white (Fig. 84).

The cones of the Ayan spruce are light brown, loose, smaller than those of the Siberian spruce, their length is 3 - 5 cm; The scales of the cones are soft, easily compressed, and longitudinally wavy and jagged at the top. The seeds, smaller than those of Norway spruce, fall from the cones in the fall. Distributed throughout the forest zone, except for the northern subzone. For the timber industry, Ayan spruce is one of the most important species.

Siberian spruce is found in rare islands along river valleys in Sikhote-Alin and the Amur region.

White fir- Abies nephrolepis. The usual companion spruce in dark coniferous forests is a smaller tree, up to 25 m high. It is in many ways similar to Siberian fir. Its bark in the upper part of the trunk is lighter, the needles are shorter and arranged more comb-like: the buds are reddish, covered with resin only at the top; annual stems grooved; seed scales are kidney-shaped. In dark coniferous forests it occupies the second tier.

Whole-leaved fir- Abies hqlophylla. The largest tree in the forests of the Far East, up to 45 m high and up to 2 m in diameter. It is very different from other types of fir, and in bark and crown it resembles spruce. Its needles are long (up to 4 cm), hard, prickly, without noticeable white stripes on the underside, and the cross-section is not flat, but flat-elliptical; The crown is broadly cone-shaped, the bark is fissured, peeling off in scales. The cones are large (up to 12 cm). Participates in the formation of coniferous-deciduous forests only in the southern part of Sikhote-Alin; its wood is similar to spruce wood (Fig. 85).

Korean cedar pine, Korean cedar- Pinus koraiensis. A large tree up to 40 inches in height and up to 1 m in diameter. It differs from Siberian cedar in its needles and cones. The needles are somewhat thinner and longer, rough, and have a bluish tint. The cones are large (10 - 15 cm), ovoid-conical, the triangular apophyses of the cone scales are bent. The seeds are twice as large as Siberian cedar (about 1.5 cm), triangular, sharp-angled, with a thicker light skin. The northern border of its distribution runs along 50° N. w. Takes part in the formation of dark coniferous and deciduous forests. It has valuable wood (Fig. 86).

Scots pine is rare in the forests of the Far East, especially south of the Amur.

Daurian larch, as in the northern regions of Eastern Siberia, is the main forest-forming species in the Northern and Middle subzones; in other subzones it is less common, occupying swampy, sandy and rocky soils at the upper forest boundary in the mountains.

In the coniferous-deciduous subzone, the Far Eastern yew - Taxus cuspidata - is occasionally found as individual trees.

In the formation of shrub thickets, as in Eastern Siberia, dwarf pine - Pinus pumila - plays a large part. This is a small tree, 2 - 5 m high, with a branched trunk from the base; its large branches spread along the ground, so the trees have the appearance of a bush. Densely intertwined branches form impenetrable thickets in the mountains. Such thickets are of great soil protection value and serve as shelter and food for commercial fur-bearing animals. It also grows in the undergrowth. Its needles are shorter than those of Siberian cedar, the cones and seeds are small.

In the Far East there are several species of tree and shrub birches, but only four are of silvicultural importance. The most common is flat-leaved birch - Betula platyphylla, close to warty birch. This tree is up to 27 m high and up to 50 cm in diameter. Distributed throughout the river basin. Amur, takes part as an admixture in coniferous and coniferous-deciduous forests, less often produces pure birch forests.

Three other species of birch differ significantly from flat-leaved birch. All of them belong to the section of ribbed birches, which are characterized not by white bark, but by yellow, reddish and even black.

The leaves have a greater number of prominent veins, the earrings of the fruit are ovoid-spherical, do not disintegrate for a long time, the wings of the achenes are very narrow or completely absent.

Ribbed or yellow birch- V. costata. A large tree, up to 30 m high. The trunk in the butt part is usually rounded-ribbed; crown - from branches extending at an acute angle; the bark is yellowish-gray, peeling off in irregular segments. This type of birch is common in the subzone of coniferous-deciduous forests, on mountain slopes and in valleys.

Daurian or black birch- V. dahurica. The tree is smaller in size, sometimes reaching a height of 20 m. It differs from ribbed birch in its thicker dark brown bark. The border of its distribution goes north beyond the yellow birch; it is found in larch and coniferous-deciduous forests.

Erman's birch, or stone- V. Ermani. A small tree, up to 20 m high, sometimes with a curved trunk. The bark is yellow and peels off in large thin sheets. Branches with warts. The leaves are broadly ovate. The fruits are small. This birch is quite cold-resistant, and its range extends to the north and into the mountains to the limit of the distribution of tree species. In coniferous forests it is found as an admixture; high in the mountains and in the north it forms pure birch forests.

Aspen in the Far East is found throughout the forest zone as an insignificant admixture in forests of varying composition. Usually appears after clear cutting. It is renewed in large quantities by root shoots.

In floodplains, poplars take a significant part in the formation of forests: fragrant poplar - Populus suave-olens, Korean - P. koreana and Maksimovic - R. Maximowiczii. The fragrant poplar has a wider range; it is quite cold-resistant, reaching the northern border of the distribution of tree species. In the southern regions of its range it is a large tree up to 35 m high and up to 1.5 m in diameter, in the northern regions it is a small tree. Korean and Maksimovich poplars are more thermophilic; they grow in the subzone of coniferous-deciduous forests and reach gigantic sizes (45 m in height and 1.5 m in diameter).

Grows together with poplars in the floodplains Chosenia- Chosenia macrolepis (Fig. 87). A tree up to 35 m high and up to 1 m in diameter, resembling a tree willow. Distributed from Transbaikalia to Kamchatka, throughout the forest zone of the Far East.

Of the broad-leaved species, the most common is Mongolian oak - Quercus mongolica, which is close to sessile oak (Fig. 88). It is distinguished by wider leaves with a large number of short blades. More often it is a small tree; only in the best growing conditions does it reach a height of 30 m. The northern border of its distribution runs from the middle reaches of the river. Amur for 50 s. w, It enters as an admixture into coniferous-deciduous forests in the mountains with a southern exposure, and sometimes predominates on steep rocky slopes.

Of the ash trees, a typical representative of coniferous-deciduous forests is the Manchurian ash - Fraxinus mandschurica - a tree of the first size. It grows along wide river valleys, often together with native elm - Ulmus propinqua.

Amur linden - Tilia amurensis - is often found in deciduous and coniferous-deciduous forests.

Of the tree species endemic to the Far East, the most common are Amur velvet and Manchurian walnut.

Amur velvet- Phellodendron amurense grows as individual trees in river valleys, in deciduous and coniferous-deciduous forests; Sometimes there are large groups of trees.

It is a large tree with a slender trunk and light gray bark and a thick layer of elastic cork. The leaves are compound, imparipinnate, and contain essential oil. The fruits are black berries and also contain essential oil. After felling, it multiplies greatly by root shoots and is renewed by shoots from the stump. Produces valuable wood and cork (Fig. 89).

Manchurian walnut- Juglans mandschurica grows in coniferous-deciduous forests. The northern border of its distribution runs along the 51st parallel, in the west to the river. Zei. This is a tree up to 28 cm high with large odd-pinnate leaves. Especially large leaves (up to 80 cm) are found on young shoots. The wood has high technical qualities and has a beautiful pattern. Although its nuts are edible, they have a very strong peel that grows into the kernel.

In the second tier of coniferous-deciduous forests grow: small-leaved maple - Acer mono, Manchurian maple - A. mandschuricum, green maple - A. teg-mentosum, Amur bird cherry - Padus Maakii, Amur acacia - Maackia amurensis. But most often the second layer in these forests is created by the heartleaf hornbeam - Carpinus cordata.

In the undergrowth of these forests there are: multi-leaved hazel - Corylus heterophylla and Manchurian hazel - C. mandschurica, Amur lilac - Syringa amurensis, thin-leaved mock orange - Philadelphus tenuifolius, several species of buckthorn, euonymus and hawthorn. Very thorny shrubs from the Araliaceae family sometimes grow in the undergrowth: medicinal plant - Acanthopanax sessiliflorum, wild pepper - Eleuterococcus senticosus, Manchurian aralia - Aralia mandschurica.

These forests are also characterized by the participation of extra-tiered woody lianas: Amur grape - Vitis amurensis, lemongrass - Schizandra chinensis, Actinidia kolomicta and spicy - A. arguta.